Julius Halaifonua

Last updated
Julius Halaifonua
No. 11–Georgetown Hoyas
Position Center
League Big East Conference
Personal information
Born (2006-05-09) May 9, 2006 (age 19)
Auckland, New Zealand
Listed height7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight259 lb (117 kg)
Career information
High school
College Georgetown (2024–present)

Julius Halaifonua (born May 9, 2006) is a New Zealand college basketball player for the Georgetown Hoyas of the Big East Conference.

Contents

Early life and high school

Halaifonua grew up in Auckland, New Zealand, the son of Willie Halaifonua and his wife, Turea. His father played rugby, which the younger Halaifonua also played in addition to basketball. However, he quit the sport in 2013 after his father died as a result of injuries sustained during a match. [1]

Halaifonua attended Rosmini College before transferring to the NBA Global Academy in Australia. [2] In 16 games at the academy, he scored 12.8 points per game on 57% shooting from the field. [2]

Recruiting

Halaifonua was rated a four-star recruit and committed to play college basketball in the United States at Georgetown over offers from Kentucky, North Carolina, and Xavier. [3] At the time of his commitment, Halaifonua was considered by scouts to be the top New Zealand basketball prospect of his generation. [3]

College recruiting information
NameHometownSchoolHeightWeightCommit date
Julius Halaifonua
C 		Auckland, New Zealand NBA Global Academy (Australia)7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)270 lb (120 kg)Aug 5, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  3 stars.svg     247Sports:  4 stars.svg    
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 164    247Sports: 60    ESPN: NR
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Georgetown 2024 Basketball Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  • "2024 Georgetown Hoyas Recruiting Class". ESPN. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  • "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved 13 August 2025.

College career

Freshman

As a freshman, Halaifonua appeared in six games at Georgetown before a foot injury sidelined him for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. [4]

Sophomore

Halaifonua enjoyed greater success during his second collegiate season, and was named to the Big East weekly Honor Roll on December 29, 2025. [5]

National team career

Halaifonua played a starring role for New Zealand at the 2025 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. He helped lead the Junior Tall Blacks to a fourth-place finish in the tournament, the highest-ever finish for a New Zealand team in that competition. [6] During the tournament Halaifonua averaged 10.6 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. [7]

Personal life

Halaifonua is Polynesian, and he cited the large number of fellow Polynesian athletes at Georgetown as part of his decision to attend the school. [8]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2024–25 Georgetown 6013.3.412.2501.0002.0.70.53.0
Career6013.3.412.2501.0002.0.70.53.0

References

  1. ↑ Manukia, Matt (26 April 2022). "North Harbour Basketball Prodigy Chasing NBA Dream". 1news.co.nz. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Julius Halaifonua". guhoyas.com. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  3. 1 2 Hinton, Marc (5 August 2024). "Kiwi Basketball Prodigy Julius Halaifonua Heading to Georgetown for College Hoops". stuff.co.nz . Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  4. ↑ Bancroft, Bobby (2 December 2024). "Hoyas Center Julius Halaifonua Out with Fractured Left Ankle". msn.com . Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  5. ↑ "Julius Halaifonua and KJ Lewis Named to Big East Weekly Honor Roll". guhoyas.com. 29 December 2025. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  6. ↑ Hinton, Marc (5 July 2025). "Junior Tall Blacks No Match for Mighty USA in FIBA U19 World Cup Semifinals". stuff.co.nz . Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  7. ↑ "Julius Halaifonua". FIBA . Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  8. ↑ Flores, Brandy (5 November 2024). "Polynesian Athletes Find Community at Georgetown". dcnewsnow.com. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.